


The Most Loving Time of the Year

by happywife416



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Adopted Children, Baking, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Mabari Puppies, Mild Smut, Post Game, Siblings, kissing day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 19:00:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8501644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happywife416/pseuds/happywife416
Summary: My big piece for thesecondseal's Kissing Day Festival.





	1. Good Morning, Beautiful

A cool autumn morning shone through the windows as Rose stretched. A lazy, happy smile brightened her face as she turned to lean over her still sleeping husband. The five years since the Council and spending the time steadily stuck in the Keep had softened them both around the edges a bit. They still made time to bust some heads and three times a week they trained with Aveline’s guardsmen to keep them on their toes. Still, she ran her fingers through his chest hair and traced a scar, the softness, the normal life was a blessing. He caught her fingers with his lips and her smile widened. “Good morning, love.” He mumbled and she laughed. “Do you remember what today is?”

He dragged his arm over his face, lacing his fingers with hers and hiding his smile in the crook of his elbow. “Tuesday? I’m sure Bran will remind me and I will be late for something or other.”

She huffed. “It’s Kissing Day! You were supposed to take the day off and spend it with me and the kids, remember? It’s even Saturday, hence why we are still in bed after dawn.”

“Mhm, it must have slipped my mind, beautiful.”

She sighed, and he peeked long enough to see her scowl. “Next time I will just change your schedule myself and threaten Bran.”

He laughed and wrapped his other arm around her. “You can do that anytime you want.” He tilted her chin up for a kiss and she snuggled in against him. His thumb stroked her cheek. “What are you going to do today then?”

“Well,” she said tartly. “Since the viscount is too busy to spend time with his beautiful wife, I’m going to bake pumpkin cookies with Duncan and Anora as planned. Then we will take them out to the family so they can see Kirkwall in all her loving glory.”

She grinned at his pained expression. “Don’t burn down the Keep baking.”

She shook her head and leaned up to kiss him. “Aunties Orana and Daisy are baking the cookies with them, while Bela and I stand there in the way looking cute enough to not get swatted at when we steal icing.”

He chuckled, tucking curls behind her ear. “And Broody is leaving his pregnant wife alone long enough for her to make cookies?”

“Mhm. Apparently 3 adult women and two children is enough company to keep her out of trouble while he goes and gets some things.” She settled her chin against his shoulder. “I’m glad they are both happy and that she has stopped calling me my lady.”

“It only took you setting the kitchen on fire.”

“And the laundry, she still scowls when I help.” They both laughed and shared another kiss before she got up. “Come on, viscount, before Bran starts banging on the doors again.” The family wing of the Keep was exactly that after Rose had finished with it. Fenris and Orana lived with them, as self-appointed body guard and Rose’s assistant, in their own sumptuous quarters until renovations were finished on their own place. Tili and Maddy came in three times a week to help the two ladies of the house. Isabela and Merrill had their home at the Amell estate turned elven school and museum but were more often found in one room or another in the evenings. Bran didn’t live in the Keep, but he had found himself and his family invited into theirs often enough that he had no problem banging on the doors until someone answered, even if it was the mouthy 14-year-old blonde mage who had been up too late with her studies.

Varric watched her slip out bed and into a black silk robe before wandering into their private office. Her giddy laugh flowed through the open door and tugged him out of bed. “Varric Tethras, you are a damn rogue.”

He leaned against the door frame long enough to watch her smell the three dozen deep red roses that engulfed her desk. “It’s about time someone remembered.”

“They are perfect.” She laughed as he pulled her from them and into a dance about the room. She shook her head with a happy smile. “You don’t have any viscount duties today, do you?”

“My love, you wound me.”

“Of all the things I want to do to you, wounding you isn’t on that list, my heart.” She pressed a lightning quick kiss against his lips before slipping out of his arms. “I have something for you, since you didn’t forget it.”

She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a slim leather tome. He gave her a grin. “And if I had?”

“I would have kept it for Satinalia.” Her blue eyes danced as she perched on the desk and handed it to him.

He watched her a moment. Her soft smile and undone auburn waves against the backdrop of red roses, her freckles marking their constellations across her cheeks; she was still the most beautiful woman in Thedas as Varric committed it all to memory. He wrote her a romance every year as promised and if anyone had noticed the woman was always her, well, no one had complained. His fingers ran across the title. “He told me a dealer bought the only copy.”

Her smile turned smug as she tucked a curl behind her ear. “I do still deal in rare books, storyteller. He knows when to keep his mouth shut.”

Their lips met again for a brief moment, the book and roses forgotten on the dark wood as their fingers found bare skin, before their children burst into the room with shrieks and laughter. The dark haired elven boy ducked his sister’s harmless tossed balls of mage light with ease until he barreled into Varric and Rose for morning hugs. “Happy Kissing Day!” Anora cried, running a hand through her spiky blond hair.

Duncan scowled as he squirmed back down to the floor. “No. They kiss enough.”

Rose chuckled against Varric’s shoulder as Anora scowled at her brother. “Duncan Carver, you will understand when you are older. Don’t ruin it for the rest of us.” She dropped her voice menacingly. “Or I will tell the aunties and they will all kiss you.”

He considered her a moment with all the knowledge of his five years. “Would I get cookies?”

Rose brushed a kiss against Varric’s cheek. “Oh, he’s so your son.”

He scowled at her a moment. “But no comment on the rest?” He turned to Anora. “You are too young, dragonling, to understand the holiday.”

“Papae.” She whined.

“Love.” Rose looked at him expectantly and he winced when she kicked his shin. “Anora has plans this afternoon after we deliver cookies.” He looked between the two women of his life and Rose hid a smile behind her hand. “Marethari has already met Bianca and they spoke to me last week.”

He threw up his hands. “I’m chopped liver.”

Anora snorted. “No, you’re overprotective ogre.” She wrapped her father in a hug and stooped to plant a kiss on his cheek. “But I still love you, papae.”

“Cookies!” Duncan reminded them all.

“Go on, to the kitchen with you.” Rose waved them off. “We’ll be down in a bit.”

Duncan pulled on his sister’s hand. “I’m not kissing anyone.”

“No one wants to kiss you, nug breath.”

When the door closed, Rose doubled over with laughter. “Void, I meant to tell you over dinner last week, Varric, but that ambassador from Antiva came.” She wiped away a tear before waving a hand. “We even established rules. It’s just not something she wanted to discuss in detail with her father.”

He continued to scowl at her. “I am not overprotective.”

She hopped off the desk to rub distracting circles over his biceps. “Oh, love, you are overprotective of your darlings. We both are.” She brushed her lips along his jaw before erupting into giggles again. “But you aren’t going to argue the ogre part?”

His eyes gained a roguish gleam. “We are not in public.”

She danced out of reach and towards the bedroom. “We need to get dressed and head down to the kitchen.” She stopped. “Oh, I need you to go get chocolate.” She gave him a smile as she dropped her robe and then her nightgown. “Pretty please?” She gave a slow, naked spin before squeaking out of reach again.

He caught her by the bed, trailing open mouthed kisses across her shoulder and up her neck. “I think I can manage that for my beautiful wife.” She shivered and then pushed him back on the bed. She trailed kisses down his chest, hooking her fingers in the waist of his sleep pants before pulling them down his thighs. “Cookies?” He gasped out as she took him in her mouth.

She chuckled low in her throat around him before answering. “I did say a bit. Kissing Day should start with kisses, don’t you think?”


	2. Of Cookies and Chocolate

“Orana, sit. I can take orders fairly well.” Rose claimed.

The elven woman snorted as she rubbed her back again before taking the offered chair. “It’s just not right.” Rose glared at her and she shook her head. “Its Fenris’ and I’s newlywed Kissing Day.”

Rose made a soft noise as Daisy butted her gently out of the way to finish stirring up the cookies. “You will have to decorate some special then. Hawke was useless for her and Varric’s newlywed Kissing Day. It was adorable.”

Rose joined Bela on the other side of the table. “Songbird is useless anytime the dwarf gets a good excuse to woo her.” Anora made choking noises and Daisy thumped her on the back.

 Rose chuckled as she settled her head on her friend’s shoulder. “Think we can make it out with a bowl of that icing?”

“Mmm, paint each other in it or just eat it right out of the bowl?”

“Neither if you want anything out of this kitchen ever again.” They gave Orana’s scowl matching cheeky grins.

“Can I make mabari? I don’t want hearts.” Duncan eyed the offensive shapes his sister and aunt had already cranked out with distaste before dipping his finger in the icing and gobbling it down. “Mabari are better.”

“Yes, darling.” She leaned forward to ruffle his hair and kiss his cheek. “Mabari are incredibly loving though.”

“It’s still not a heart.” He declared. Anora snorted.

Varric and Fenris blew in the back door with the crunch of autumn leaves and the crisp bite of cold air in the warm kitchen. Fenris went straight to his wife, tickling Duncan as he went, but Rose missed what made Orana squeak in delight. Varric had swept her into his arms and was peppering her with kisses as she clung to him off balance. Bela scoffed. “You two are still revoltingly cute.”

Rose giggled. “Today is the perfect day to be revoltingly cute.” She ran her fingers through his hair as he stood her on her feet and she kissed him again.

He caught her infectious laughter and it spilled against her lips. “I got your chocolate.”

She broke away long enough for a breathless giggle to erupt again. “You are better than chocolate.”

“Ugh.” Duncan whined.

Rose rolled her eyes as she drug herself from him and set about making the hot chocolate. Varric was called to inspect the mabari cookies which he gave the viscount’s stamp of approval before questioning his wife. “What happened to the chocolate we had?”

Rose flushed over the stove as Anora answered with a cheery grin. “We had it for breakfast.”

He arched an eyebrow at that. Rose waved her spoon. “I didn’t get a chance to go shopping last week and we were hungry.”

“So we ate it in the garden and watched the harbor!” Duncan squished another mabari head, or butt, into shape. “We could see Auntie Bela’s boats.”

“Ships.” Bela and Rose corrected him. Rose stuck her finger in the icing bowl and then quickly into her mouth. She melted against the counter with a pleased noise from low in her throat that had Varric giving her a pointed look that suggested other things from across the table. She went back to stirring the hot chocolate with a blush.

Duncan sighed. “Ships. And then we went shopping and had the Hanged Man for lunch.”

Rose tested the hot chocolate and shook her head before adding some more cinnamon. “Corff said the new cook is almost trained up, by the way.”

Orana gave a disgruntled sigh. “You don’t need to hire a cook.”

Rose waved the spoon at her, sending chocolate everywhere. “The only reason I let you take over the kitchen is because you live here. You’re my assistant; Maddy and Tili help with the cleaning and such. And you, sweets, are far too pregnant to be doing most of it anyway.” Rose gave her a lazy, dangerous smile when she started to argue. “Don’t make me involve your husband.”

Fenris chuckled as he kissed her hair and she pouted. “I can still do my assistant duties?”

Rose poured the hot chocolate into mugs and handed Orana hers, snaking an arm between the husband and wife to wrap her in a hug. “I would be lost without you. But take all the time you want to bond with the baby. Anora wanted to try her hand at statecraft and things have been fairly quiet as of late.”

She gave her a happy smile. “Thank you.”

“Your family, you may change your mind yet.” Everyone laughed except for Duncan who was trying to drink his hot chocolate in one gulp.

“Oh, da’len, I am not sure we can ice this cookie.” Daisy held up one of the baked mabaris. In places it was so thin, it was almost see through.

Duncan cheered and took it from her, breaking it in half. “Papae and I can eat it.”


	3. Family Old and New

Cookie making had ended in a powder sugar fight. They had sent well dusted Bela and Daisy and Fenris and Orana off with their allotment of the morning’s cookies along with plenty of hugs and kisses for the holiday. The Tethras-Hawke’s then needed clothing more appropriate for the day then the current All Souls Day mourning white. Rose and Anora were laughing together as they laced up their matching boots. Rose had settled on soft grey leggings and an oversized red sweater from Varric’s side of closet. He never wore it, it was too tight across his shoulders, but it made his heart feel ten times too big and too warm in his chest when she did. Especially when the neckline had fallen over one shoulder while she looked back at him with a smile, a hint of black lace over an otherwise bare shoulder. He would buy a hundred ill-fitting sweaters just so she could wear them beautifully. “Are we ready?” His voice was rough.

She nodded as Duncan ran pell-mell into the foyer, a black soot tackling his older sister. “We have to see Auntie Aveline’s puppies!”

Anora gasped. “Mamae, we have to!” She smoothed the imaginary wrinkles from the heart and halla sprinkled orange sweater and her red skirt.

Rose chuckled. “You’ll have to ask her. Grab the cookies.” The kids rushed ahead as Varric and Rose locked the doors. She gave him a grin with her accusatory tone. “That is not very festive attire, storyteller.”

“Duncan didn’t want anyone thinking he was okay with this holiday but he didn’t want to stick out.” He smiled with a slight shrug.

“Ah, so papae dressed to match.” She ran her fingers down his duster before curling them against the dark fabric. “Well, it may not be festive, but, as your wife, I very much approve of the black. It’s a good look, love.” She grinned and skipped down the steps.

“I’m not convinced of the sincerity of that compliment.” He grinned to match hers.

She giggled at the bottom and waited for him, face upturned for a kiss. They lost themselves for a moment, her fingers hooked in his belt as she arched up on her toes. The guard cleared his throat. “Viscount, Lady, your children are going to beat down the Guard Captain’s door.”

Rose gave him a grin as she hooked her arm through Varric’s. “I will when I get down there.”

And beat on the door she did. “Aveline!”

Donnic answered, looking bemused. “She’s in the office, avoiding you.”

“Happy Kissing Day, Donnic!” She blew past him with a kiss as the kids overran their uncle with hugs. Rose let herself into the office amongst the commotion.

Aveline was standing with her arms cross, staring out the window. “Hawke.”

“Aveline.” She set the cookies on the desk as her oldest friend in Kirkwall turned towards her. “Are we really going to do this every year?”

“You know I hate this holiday.”

She crossed her arms. “And I love it. And I love you. Cookies. Kids.”

Aveline sighed with a shake of her head. “You can’t claim I never let you have any fun.” Rose gave her a grin.

Duncan roared into the office. “Auntie Aveline! Can we see the puppies?!” At that, Aveline smiled.

An hour later, Rose, Anora, and Duncan were still sitting on the floor with the three puppies who had found their humans. Donnic clapped a hand on Varric’s shoulder. “Do you have enough room on your side of the Keep for that many mabari?”

“Do I really have a choice?” Donnic laughed and ate a cookie.

They set out for Lowtown with their last two boxes of cookies. “What are you going to name your puppy, mamae?” Anora asked.

“Sunshine.” She laced her fingers with Varric’s, accepting the squeeze and returning it. “She was a happy little pup. What about you two?”

“Gryphon! Because we are going to have adventures like Garahel. And he had a funny ear like Crookytail.” Duncan announced.

“No fighting the Blight, please.” Rose grimaced. “Darkspawn are gross.”

“Even better.” Duncan spread his arms like wings and soared in circles around them all.

“Boys.” Anora snorted. “I’m naming mine Princess.”

“Ugh.” Duncan declared.

“I’ll ugh you off the Keep walls.”

“No murdering your brother, dragonling.” Varric interjected, ending the argument that could go for hours with the siblings giggling at the ridiculousness they could come up with.

“Here, you three take Gabby’s to her and I will take this one.” The kids took off down the street.

Varric pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Are you sure?” She nodded.

Rose walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she let herself in. “Gamlen?” The silence was deafening in the dark, squat interior. Memories pressed down on her, suffocating her with every breath. Mourning Carver, arguing with her mother over every job. Fighting with Gamlen over every coin, mourning Bethany. The night her mother died and she had fragmented the final piece of the Amell family into something unrecognizable, an empty shield in an empty estate. Every step was heavy as she pushed open the bedroom door. The smell of cheap liquor was sharp in the air. Gamlen had fallen asleep in the day’s clothes, an empty bottle by the bed. She set the cookies on the bedside table and set her fingers against his temples. As the warmth of her healing spell flowed through him, the furrow between his brows eased and the grimace relaxed. “Happy Kissing Day, Uncle Gamlen.”

She met her family in the Lowtown market. It was decked out in colors of the season, pumpkins hollowed out in the shape of hearts and stuffed with apples, and banners galore advertising wares.  Anora wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulders. “Gabby loved the cookies. She said Arianni had some ideas for the Council next week.”

“Nooo, no politics today.” Rose groaned.

Varric chuckled. “It’s always politics, or a dragon.”

“Ugh, you drop a dragon on me today and you are in big trouble, storyteller.”

Duncan looked at his parents. “What?”

 “Do you want us to walk with you back to Hightown or do you want us to take the long way through the docks so you can get where you are going with Marethari?” She asked Anora.

“Does Aunt Daisy have the Siren decorated?” Rose nodded. “I’ll go with you guys through the docks.”

Duncan yanked on his mother’s hand. “Papae dropped a dragon on you?”

“She was standing under it.” Varric set Duncan on his shoulders and took his wife’s hand. Anora held her mother’s other hand and they walked to the docks while hearing the Tale of How Papae Dropped a Dragon on Mamae.


	4. A Kissing Ball

Alanna and Thom had gone all out for the year’s Kissing Ball. Every noble in Kirkwall was in attendance, some old Inquisition friends, and many more spun about the dance floor in various shades of the season and day. Pumpkins dotted the tables holding bouquets of roses while wine and chocolate flowed freely. Rose sipped from her wine glass, cheeks flushed from dancing, and shivered as Varric joined her, running his hand across her bare lower back before settling it against her hip and pulling her close. “As lovely as this is, when can I take my beautiful wife home?”

Rose brushed a kiss against his smiling lips. “This is why I was more than willing to let someone else host the Kissing Ball. You are a scandalous viscount. After we make a good appearance we can leave, unlike last year that I heard about for weeks afterwards.”

“I heard about it again yesterday.” He brushed his lips against her bare shoulder. “What no one wants to hear is that it was not my idea to sneak off that balcony.”  Her quiet laughter a year later still made it worth the headache. “You make that dress look good, menace.”

Her smile turned a little shy as she ran her fingers along the red silk. “You think so?” He nodded. It was wicked as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Would it look better around my hips or on the floor?”

She took a drink as he stared at her. “Who’s the scandalous one?”

“I have never made claims of being a lady in public.” She said with a proud grin on her face. “I could have gone with one of those ridiculous cake dresses that are so popular again this year.”

He snorted. “You couldn’t possibly be talking about Flora, she’s your friend.”

“And as her friend, I told her she looked like an Orlesian frilly cake.” She said primly as Varric laughed. “She laughed and said she would ask her husband for a taste comparison.”

“I did not need to know that.” He shook his head before stealing her wine glass and draining it. “You two give me enough trouble on the Council without that in my head.”  

Rose leaned her head on his shoulder, swaying to the music. “You could take me off the Council, you know.”

“No.” He gave her a little shake. “You run the Council as well as I do, maybe better, when I’m not there. You keep some of the ridiculousness from reaching my desk. The foreign dignitaries ask for you by name. No, you can’t leave the Council unless the Maker comes down and asks nicely. And then I will just tie you to a chair.”

She laughed. “I can’t defend Kirkwall’s honor tied to a chair.”

“Hopefully you will never have to do that again. Anyone who thought Champion of Kirkwall was an empty title was shown otherwise that day.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“I never got the blood out of that dress. Not even Gabby could and it was my favorite. And Duncan could have gotten hurt.” She hummed a moment. “You could just ban Orlesians.”

His response was cut off by another laugh. “It was you two that told me how romantic Kissing Day was, the best day in Kirkwall to be exact, and here you are talking like shems about blood and banning nations.” The former Inquisitor joined them with her swaying grace in a floor length deep green gown that set off her darker skin and bright amber eyes.

Rose’s eyes traveled up the remainder of her friend’s arm with admiration, the black and green vortex of ink capped off with Dalish writing that matched her blood red vallaslin. “It came out perfect.”

Alanna grinned. “It hurt like a halla kick. But it is worth it to remember.” She looked thoughtfully at her other guests. “To make them remember too.”

Rose stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug before placing a kiss on her cheek. “Happy Kissing Day, Alanna, may your year be full of love.”

“I wish you the same, lethallan.” She chuckled. “Now you can take the viscount home before he broods himself into a chicken.”

Rose turned, linking their arms together, and snickered. Varric had been drawn away by an old Lord and his new young wife. Her gaze lingered appreciatively over his shoulders that were emphasized in the black shirt, especially when he had his arms crossed over his chest. The mile-long scowl of boredom and irritation meant the discussion involved work. “He looks like he is having so much fun, like Bianca is hidden under a punch bowl waiting for an introduction.” Alanna cackled with glee. The young wife reached out, batting her eyelashes, and Varric took two steps back, his scowl now bordering on murderous. Rose sighed. “They never learn.”

Alanna continued to chuckle. “Go remind them who is queen, champion.”

Varric’s eyes softened when he saw her head toward him and the world righted itself when her hand was in his and then she was kissing him. He felt the tension ease in his shoulders as their lips danced and tongues brushed together a moment before she was curled against his side with a hand on his shoulder and his arm around her waist, giving the other couple a charming smile. “I do hope you are enjoying Lady and Lord Lavellan’s hospitality. They have done Kirkwall proud this year.” They stared mutely and nodded. “Isn’t this your newlywed Kissing Day? I remember ours.” She gave Varric a fond smile before continuing. “We wish you a year full of love, and many years more.” She then tugged him gently away and into alcove before she gave a disgusted sigh.

 He twined a curl around his finger. “How did you manage that? He was babbling about that trade deal I’ve told him no on twice already and then his little wife tried her charms. I wanted to drop them in the harbor.”

She giggled. “I ignored them.” She leaned her cheek against his hand. “It’s Kissing Day. People just need to be reminded that today is not for politics. It helps everyone knows the viscount adores his wife, I probably could have been less dramatic. Bran will complain.”

“Bran always has complaints.” He laughed as he pulled her in for a kiss. “Can I take my lovely, beautiful, wonderful wife that I adore home now?”

Her blue eyes sparkled. “You may.”


	5. Always Kiss Me Goodnight

Varric crawled into bed beside her and immediately wrapped his cold body around her warm one before dropping kisses on her bare shoulder. “How are you always so perfectly warm?”

“Magic wife.” The sleepy giggle answered him. “Did you get the little demon back to bed?”

“According to Anora, he never went to bed.” Rose groaned. He chuckled. “We are going to have our hands full in the morning.”

“No. There’s a diplomatic mission I have to go on. Very important, it will fail without me.” She erupted into peals of laughter as his fingers snaked down her side and, in the chaos, she ended up beneath him.

He kissed her nose. “We are a team, remember? You can’t abandon me.”

“Don’t threaten me with your crabby children.” She mock cried before giggling again and pulling his smiling lips to hers. She hummed against him. “If they are up before noon, it will be a miracle.”

“Then we don’t have to be up before noon.” He trailed kisses down her throat before memorizing the shape of her collarbone as she clung to him and gasped when he set his teeth against her flesh. He continued down her body, kissing the hollow between her breasts as he pinched the already taut peaks and smiling when her hips bucked against him. He kissed along the scars of her abdomen before rising up to meet her burning midnight eyes. “I plan on kissing every inch of you tonight. Unless you have other plans?” She shook her head.

A heavy, heady sigh left her as his teeth marked her hip and her hand tangled in his hair. The breath of his laughter danced across her skin. “Hm?”

He kissed the love bite before speaking. “You said Kissing Day should start with kisses, I think it’s fitting it ends with them too.”


End file.
